On average, Colorado records 5.6 cases of the mumps annually. But in 2016, that number spiked to 17. This year’s tally is already closing in on the state record set in 2006 when 51 Colorado residents were sickened with the mumps. Forty-two of this year’s cases are linked to an ongoing outbreak, according to the report.
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Mumps is a highly transmissible virus spread by person-to-person contact. Early onset symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. The virus is best known for causing swollen salivary glands, resulting in the appearance of puffy cheeks. Mumps typically spreads before the salivary glands start to swell, according to the CDC.
In 2016, the number of mumps cases across the nation hit a 10-year high.
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